1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electronic flash apparatus including a flash device, a light emitting device which is different from the flash device, and a concave reflector for reflecting light beams from the flash device and the light emitting device. In particular, the present invention relates to an electronic flash apparatus that can provide light distribution controls for the flash device and the light emitting device completely independently.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, electronic flash apparatuses including a flash device, a light emitting device which is different from the flash device, and a concave reflector for reflecting light beams from the flash device and the light emitting device have been known. Examples of this type of electronic flash apparatuses include one disclosed in FIG. 4 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-17814, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Hereinafter, this apparatus will be referred to as a conventional electronic flash apparatus.
In the conventional electronic flash apparatus, a xenon tube is used as a flash device to emit light beams. Part of the light beams is directed to the convex reflector and reflected by the same to be projected in the illumination direction of the electronic flash apparatus. In addition to the flash device, a light emitting diode is used as a light emitting device to emit light beams. The light beams therefrom are also reflected by the same reflecting surface of the reflector as in the case of the flash device, to be projected in the illumination direction of the electronic flash apparatus. Because the same reflecting surface is utilized for both the light beams from the flash device and the light beams from the light emitting diode in the conventional electronic flash apparatus, the light distribution pattern formed by the light beams from the flash device and that formed by the light beams from the light emitting device are partly overlapped with each other.
In other words, the conventional electronic flash apparatus cannot provide control for the light distribution from the flash device and that from the light emitting device completely independently.